Day of the Dead
by Little Jackie Papercut
Summary: On some days, Twilight Sparkle woke up knowing exactly how the day was going to go.  This was not one of those days.
1. The Darkest Night

On the surface, nothing appeared to be wrong.

It was as cool and calm a day as any other in the fall, but something about it managed to unnerve Twilight Sparkle. She tried to brush off the feeling; she was a rational pony, after all, and her common sense told her there was nothing at all to worry about, and she shouldn't pay attention to silly little feelings like that. It wasn't working.

Pinkie Pie wasn't helping matters. She was throwing a party that night, which was not unusual, but it was a different kind of party. Twilight had caught a glimpse at some of the supplies, decorations, props, probably some things that were meant to be surprises, and it looked kind of spooky. Creepy, even.

* * *

><p>When asked about the strange choice of decorations, Pinkie's first reaction was to giggle. "Don't you know, silly? It's the Darkest Night!"<p>

Twilight raised an eyebrow at this response. "Darkest Night?" she asked.

"I first noticed it when I was real little. Every year, there's one night where the sky is darker than every other night, and that's tonight," she said.

She looked to the others for confirmation on this point. Rainbow Dash shrugged, Rarity looked as uncertain as Twilight, and Applejack just cocked her head to one side and asked, "Have you been eatin' the funny muffins again?"

"Just trust me on this one, girls," Pinkie Pie said. "We're gonna celebrate the darkest night of the year with the scaaariest party of the year!"

* * *

><p>If the prospect of the "scariest party of the year" wasn't doing wonders for the apprehension Twilight was already experiencing, then the idea that all her life one night of the year had been darker than every other night and she, casual astronomer that she was, had simply never noticed was almost enough to send her over the edge. Still, she tried to relax. After all, a party was a party. Maybe a real scare or two would drive out all those silly worries. It couldn't hurt to ask, though. "Spike, I need you to take a letter," she said. The baby dragon stood at attention, quill and scroll ready, and Twilight cleared her throat.<p>

"Dear Princess Luna," she began.

Spike hesitated at this. "Luna?" he asked.

"It'll make sense in a moment." When Spike shrugged and wrote the salutation, she continued. "I have heard a rumor that this night is going to be the darkest night of the year. Can you confirm this? And if so, why is it? I have had a sense of foreboding lately and I think an answer would put my mind at ease. Signed, a concerned citizen, Twilight Sparkle."

"One sec," Spike said, darting over to the library's reference section to look up the correct spelling of "foreboding".

With the letter thus completed, he exhaled a plume of green flame, which transported the letter to its destination. "Thanks, Spike," Twilight said. "Now, I've got things to do today before Pinkie's party. Are you coming?"

Spike, of course, rarely failed to accompany Twilight into town. He was an excellent assistant, and, if the fact that Twilight raised him from an egg meant she counted as his mother, he was a good son as well. And this time, he recalled, Twilight had been asked to assist Rarity with an errand, an opportunity he didn't want to pass up. So with a simple "Sure thing", he hopped onto Twilight's back and they were off.

* * *

><p>In town, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Twilight was beginning to feel a little more at ease, almost able to dismiss her earlier worries.<p>

So what happened next was somewhat unfortunate.

Twilight's last stop before she got to Rarity's was at Books & Timepieces. "Welcome!" the earth pony behind the counter called jovially as she entered. She paused for a moment, feeling a vague sense of deja vu, before addressing him.

"Hello," Twilight said. "I'm looking for the new astronomy book by..."

The shopkeeper held up a hoof, and she fell silent. "I'm sorry, ma'am," he said, "but we don't have any books at all right now."

"What?" Twilight twitched slightly. "How can you not have ANY books? What kind of a bookstore doesn't have any books? I mean, the store is called Books & Timepieces! You only sell two things!"

"And right now, we're out of books. We're getting another shipment tomorrow, so whatever you're looking for will be in then."

Twilight sighed. "Fine. I also need a new alarm clock. SOMEONE keeps smashing them to make them stop ringing," she said with a quick look at Spike, who grinned sheepishly in response.

"Oh," said the shopkeeper, "would you like us to dragonproof that? The process takes about a day."

Thinking about it, Twilight decided that she could do without an alarm clock for a day, and since she was going to be here tomorrow anyway, it was worth the extra time. "That would be great, thank you," she said, producing the payment for one dragonproofed alarm clock. "See you tomorrow!"

Having completed that business, Twilight left the shop. At that instant, she heard a cracking noise, and then some yelling. By the time she had located the source, it was too late to react. A unicorn fell from a second-story balcony, landing on his back. Twilight looked up and saw that the railing had broken suddenly, and the unicorn's family was staring in shock. Several closer ponies rushed to help as he stood up and tried to shake it off. "I'm fine," he declared, "just a little..."

He didn't quite finish that statement, as he wavered and nearly collapsed. "Come on," said somepony, "we'll get you to a doctor." He was quickly carried off, dazed but conscious, as the rest of the family made it down to the street and followed. As Twilight watched, the fear from earlier came back to her. She had to make sure everything was okay. She decided to follow the injured unicorn as well.

* * *

><p>"Twilight? Is that you?" Rarity called as she heard her door swing open.<p>

"Sorry we're late, Rarity," Twilight responded. "There was an accident on the way, somepony got hurt, but he's okay now. They say he'll have trouble walking around for a few days, though."

"That sounds dreadful," Rarity said. "Come and sit for a while, try to take your mind off it."

Twilight complied, and as she entered the back room, she noticed something was different. Rarity was working at her sewing machine, but the opposite wall was now dominated by a large machine Twilight didn't recognize. A strip of cloth hung out of a slot on the side. Though obviously a new fixture, it was dented in several places, and every few minutes Twilight saw a small flash from the slot.

"Uh, Rarity? What's that?" Spike asked.

"Oh, I purchased a new machine to produce certain patterns more quickly, but I'm afraid it was damaged in transit. I tried to use it anyway, but it's simply not functioning properly. I'm going to have to see if I can return it for repairs first thing in the morning."

As soon as she'd finished saying that, the machine sparked, causing Twilight to jump. It took several seconds to realize that a chest next to it had caught fire. "Rarity!" Twilight yelled.

"No need to shout, darling, I'm right here," Rarity said, not taking her eyes off her work.

"Yes, but..."

"It's impolite to shout. Please, speak calmly and quietly, I'm almost finished and I don't want to ruin this now."

By this point, the chest was almost completely engulfed.

"Rarity, your room is on fire!"

"Yes well that's WHAT!"

Rarity ran out of the room and came back a few seconds later with a fire extinguisher, putting out the fire before it could spread any further. Unfortunately, it was a little too late to save the chest.

"Oh dear..." Rarity moaned as she sorted through the damaged contents.

"What was in the box?" Twilight asked.

"Some old... sentimental belongings," Rarity said. "It will be alright, but if you don't mind, I think I need a few minutes alone. Why don't you be off now?" she said. Twilight hesitated.

"If you're sure you're going to be alright..." she said, starting out the door. Spike hopped off her back, hurried over to Rarity, and patted her on the back, looking worried.

Rarity looked at him and smiled. "Thank you, Spike," she said. "Don't worry, I'll be there for the party tonight. I just need to compose myself now."

* * *

><p>Outside, a voice called out to the two, "Well, whaddya know? Ah was jus' thinkin' ah should pay Rarity a visit mahself." Twilight turned to see Applejack trot up to them.<p>

"Now's not a good time, AJ," Twilight said. "Rarity just lost some things in a fire."

"Gosh, hope she's alright."

"She'll be fine, but she doesn't want visitors right now."

Applejack nodded. "That's good. Well, howsabout we hang out fer tha day instead? Ah'm actually here lookin' ta share mah lunch with somepony while Big Mac minds the cart. An' once we close, we can head to Pinkie's party together."

Twilight thought carefully about that one. "Well, it's not that I don't want to, but... it seems like everything's going wrong today, and I wouldn't want to cause any problems."

At this, Applejack blinked. "Wait," she said. "Are you sayin' you, Little Miss Rationality-Pants, believe in jinxes?"

"Pants?... I know it sounds a little silly, but..."

"A LITTLE silly? C'mon, girl, yer comin' with me like it or not!" Twilight resisted slightly, but in the end she followed Applejack. And, to her relief, nothing else happened for the rest of the day. She had been right, after all; the earlier events weren't connected, it was all just silly superstition. And if she didn't give it another thought, this night would be just like any other night of the year.

As they were closing up Applejack's cart in the marketplace for Big Macintosh to haul back to Sweet Apple Acres, Spike suddenly hopped to his feet and, after a moment's buildup, belched green flame. Out of the flame, a letter appeared. Twilight opened it and read slowly.

"No, it wouldn't."

* * *

><p>"C'mon, Twi, I'm sure Luna was just making a little joke," Spike said as they walked toward Sugarcube Corner. Twilight laughed nervously at the thought, still visibly shaken.<p>

When they arrived at the party, they found getting in to be difficult. A small crowd had gathered at the door, unmoving. Applejack muscled her way through the crowd, leaving a little room for Twilight to follow behind her until they could both see the problem. A yellow pegasus with a pink mane was standing in the doorway, completely rigid.

"Fluttershy?" Applejack called out. "What in tarnation are ya doin' just standin' there?"

Slowly, Fluttershy looked back. "Oh, um, well, you see, I came for Pinkie's party, but I heard it was going to be, um... scary," she explained. Before she could continue, Pinkie Pie suddenly popped out of the crowd, causing her to jump.

"Don't worry, Fluttershy!" Pinkie said, placing one hoof across her friend's back. "I know you don't like scary things, and I didn't want you to feel left out, because after all it's a party and all your friends are here and it just wouldn't be any good if you couldn't enjoy it so I kept the surprises to certain places, and if you'll come with me I can show you where not to go, so you can enjoy the party and not have to worry about anything at all! I'll join you too since I mean I set it all up so it's not gonna scare me when I already know where everything is, even if it could there wouldn't be a lot of point."

There was a moment of silence. "...what?" Fluttershy asked at length.

Pinkie sighed as she began to drag Fluttershy inside. "Just come with me." Applejack and Twilight followed them in as the crowd began to move again.

* * *

><p>The party was going well. Rainbow Dash had crashed to the ground, twitching a little, after the fourth set of fake bats dropped down from the ceiling right in her face, but chuckled and signaled to everyone that she was okay. Applejack was taking in Pinkie's "scary party games" (Pin the Tail on the Zombie Pony was attracting some attention), and Spike had passed out in the middle of a pile of confections decorated to look like predators from the Everfree Forest. Rarity was in the safe zone, talking to Pinkie Pie.<p>

"...I'm still not quite sure I see the appeal," Twilight heard her say. "Ponies go to parties to relax and have fun, not to be scared silly, don't th... what is so funny?"

Pinkie, who had been giggling slightly while Rarity was talking, placed a hoof on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, it's just that you say that every year. See, everypony here came expecting a scare or two. And when you want to be scared, it's really fun! Get it?"

Rarity looked confused. "Wait, what do you mean every year?"

"Well, you do..."

Twilight wandered over, glancing at the clock nervously. This party had gone on way later than she expected, and even though she could see nothing bad was happening, her misgivings were growing worse and worse. "Hey, Pinkie Pie, I think I've gotta leave now... you know, it's late, and Spike..."

"Aw, but you can't leave now, Twilight!" Pinkie exclaimed. "It's nearly midnight, and that means it's almost time for the spooky dance!"

"Sp... spooky dance?" Twilight and Fluttershy asked, almost in unison.

"Oh, relax, it's not even scary!" Pinkie reassured them. "Just watch."

Slowly, the minutes ticked down. In the last few seconds, Twilight squeezed her eyes shut. As soon as she had done so, there was a flash of light and a whistling noise. After a moment, she opened her eyes, and couldn't believe what she saw.

All around the room, there now stood pale, translucent ponies, smiling and laughing just like the party guests had been. Slowly, Twilight realized that everyone else was staring in wide-eyed disbelief. A pale stallion walked up to Rarity and bowed. Rarity looked even more shocked for a moment, then laughed lightly and stepped toward him. Then, the two began to dance.

Once they had begun, more ghostly figures stepped toward the ponies in the room, and the process repeated itself. Applejack shivered as the shapes of a few young fillies, no older than her sister, passed her, their movements playful and youthful. They seemed so happy, even Fluttershy couldn't be afraid of them, and joined them for a dance.

Twilight found herself approached by the form of an elderly pegasus who looked at her the way her own grandfather might have. For a moment, she froze entirely. "It's not possible... they can't be real," she said. But as the pegasus bowed, she found herself joining him, possible or not.

The night went on, and Twilight began to forget about everything that had occupied her up until now. The nameless fears, the letter from Luna, even the time itself were all completely gone from her mind.

It wasn't until she woke up in her own bed the next morning that she realized the party had ended.


	2. Dead Rising

Twilight woke up to the sound of an alarm clock being smashed and wondered groggily where this one had come from. She was, however, soon distracted from this train of thought.

"Spike," she whispered.

Spike mumbled something in his sleep and rolled over.

"Spike!" she hissed, much louder this time.

Slowly, Spike sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Spike, why is there a dragon in my room?"

"I've always been here, Twi-"

"Not you! Her!" she nearly yelled, indicating the large draconic figure partially visible, its rear half on the other side of a wall.

Spike stared at the dragon, thinking hard. Then, he realized exactly why there was a dragon in the room, and the thought of it was too much. He began to cry.

Twilight and the ghostly dragon watched with identical concerned expressions on their faces as he took a seat on the edge of Twilight's bed, sobbing lightly. "C-can't be..." he said. "There's no way... is there?"

"What can't be?" Twilight asked, as softly and gently as she could.

Rather than answer, Spike jumped to his feet and ran to the dragon, crying into its nonexistant hide. The dragon raised her foreclaws and stroked his head gently, and it felt as though he was being fondly caressed by the air itself. "Mom, why...?" He was unable to finish the question; he didn't need to. No answer was forthcoming, and none was needed. All three knew that the way things were now was a simple fact of life. Twilight looked into the mother dragon's eyes, and knew in an instant what she was thinking. That there was nothing to cry about. That if she had to choose a home for her progeny, she couldn't have made a better choice than what fate had arranged.

The mother dragon remained until Spike's tears slowed. Then, smiling down at him, she rose through the top of the tree, and flew off into the distance.

"She's leaving already?" Twilight thought out loud.

"Probably has a long way to go... to visit my brothers and sisters," Spike said, rubbing his eye.

Twilight beckoned him closer, and drew him into a hug. He started crying afresh, tears of joy, tears of sorrow, tears of love, tears of fear. He cried, and she just held him, and they didn't say anything.

* * *

><p>After Spike had managed to cry himself out, Twilight put him back to bed. He had just woken up, but the emotional rush had completely exhausted him again. Twilight thought about what had happened, and it suddenly occurred to her that her clock was broken again. She remembered that she had placed an order for one the previous day, so after making sure Spike was resting comfortably, she wrote a quick note saying she would be right back in case he woke up and then headed out.<p>

As she walked through town, Twilight began to realize that the ghosts were not in any sense an isolated phenomenon. Everywhere she looked, there were more translucent shapes. They didn't seem to be bothering anypony. Most were chatting amiably or even helping ponies with their everyday work. The reactions Twilight saw varied; excitement, curiosity, nervousness, and some sadness.

Thinking about that, it seemed to take no time at all for Twilight to reach the bookstore. "Welcome!" the earth pony behind the counter called jovially as she entered. She paused for a moment, feeling a vague sense of deja vu, before addressing him.

"Hi, I was in here yesterday. I'm looking for an astronomy book."

"I'm sorry, ma'am," he said, "but we don't have any books at all right now."

"What, still?" She sighed. "Okay, I guess I'll try again later. I also ordered a dragonproofed alarm clock," she said. "You said you'd have it today?" Confused, the earth pony looked over the records.

"Nope, we don't have any record of that order," he said. "Do you have your receipt?" Twilight produced it and gave it to him, and he examined it, squinting. "According to the timestamp, I gave you this receipt about five minutes from now. Must be a glitch in the system. Sorry, but I'm afraid that means we don't have your order ready either. I'll just enter that in again to make sure we've got it this time." He typed something up, and a receipt printed out. Twilight took it, and this time made sure to examine the timestamp before she left, checking it against a calendar on the counter to be sure it had the correct date. With that confirmed, she stowed it and left the store.

Then she sat down to think. Something was off here. The book shipment hadn't arrived yet, and they'd lost her clock order? That was a pretty big coincidence. As she contemplated, she heard a crack and a yell. She looked up to see a unicorn fall off a balcony, and at that instant, a pegasus ghost swooped up and collided with him. The two were superimposed over one another, giving the unicorn ghostly pegasus wings and a translucent outline. With his newfound wings, he righted himself in midair and descended slowly to the ground for a gentle touchdown. The ghost then separated from him, and they shook hooves as everypony around looked on, amazed.

There were loud cheers from all around, then the ponies all resumed what they were doing. Twilight, her thinking interrupted, was about to head back to the library when she realized something. She looked at the unicorn, then at the balcony, then the family watching from the balcony.

It was the same unicorn, the same balcony, the same family. That balcony had completely given way just yesterday. Had it been hastily repaired and broken again? That might have been it, but it was too much of a coincidence. Then, terribly slowly, it dawned on her.

"Rarity!" she cried, running in the direction of the Carousel Boutique.

* * *

><p>When she entered Rarity's shop, there was no response from the dressmaker. "Rarity?" she called, stepping further inside. There, she saw another ghostly pegasus staring inquisitively at a mildly surprised-looking Rarity, almost nose-to-nose. There was a long silence.<p>

"Uh, Rarity?" Twilight said tentatively.

"Yes, Twilight?" Rarity didn't move at all.

"Is everything... okay?"

"Of course. I just seem to have a... visitor, at the moment."

"Right." Twilight looked around. The room looked exactly like it had when she had arrived the previous day. "So, Rarity, about that machine, it..." Before she could say anything about the machine, however, a noise from outside drowned her out. Looking outside, Twilight could see a disruption in progress.

Outside, an earth pony ghost had grown to at least three times the size of a normal pony, and it was glaring at a terrified Sweetie Belle, as lightning with no perceptible source flashed in the air above it. Twilight and Rarity both charged out the door immediately, and rushed to stand between the ghost and the filly.

"Hold it!" Twilight yelled. "What's going on out here? You can't go around scaring little ones like that, you know!"

The ghost looked at Twilight, then Sweetie, then Rarity, and finally back to Twilight. "Why don't you ask her yourself?" it asked in a low, rumbling voice, but its expression relaxed slightly, and it shrank back down a little. Rarity turned around and approached her sister, bending down for a closer look.

"Are you okay?" she asked. Sweetie nodded. "What happened?" Rarity continued.

"I dunno..." Sweetie began. "This pony was so nice, so I wanted to be nice back, so I offered him an apple and suddenly..." she glanced over at the apple, which appeared to have burn marks on it, and had rolled under a nearby cart. Twilight and Rarity followed her gaze.

"An apple!" the ghost repeated. "Why? Why an apple?" The tone of this question was somewhere between angry and sad.

Twilight tilted her head. "Why not an apple?" she asked.

"Because ghosts can't eat apples. Some of them don't mind, but some really don't like that." This answer didn't come from the ghost. Instead, the source appeared to be Pinkie Pie, who Twilight realized had been standing there unnoticed the entire time. "Here, Mr. Ghosty, how about a pomegranate instead?" She held out the fruit, and as the ghost stared at it, he slowly returned to his original size.

"Pinkie." Twilight was becoming downright concerned at this point by Pinkie's actions. "How did you know that?"

"Sorry, Twilight, but if you don't already know, it wouldn't do any good to tell you," Pinkie replied in a lilting tone. "You don't need to worry about it, anyway. Everything's gonna be fine! Now, I've gotta go back. I have an important guest." And without another word, she hopped away.

"Are you just going to let her go without an explanation?" Rarity asked.

"What's the point? It's Pinkie. Even if she explained it, I don't think we'd understand her." Rarity nodded thoughtfully at that. "Still," Twilight added, "I'll find out eventually, even if I have to tie her up to get her to answer me."

After Sweetie Belle and the ghost exchanged apologies, the three unicorns returned to the shop, and as they entered Rarity's room, Twilight suddenly remembered what she had rushed over here for. Too late - the machine sparked, and the chest caught. Rarity gasped, but before any action could be taken, the ghost pegasus dashed across the room and seemed to dissolve into a wind that blew out the fire, reforming after a moment.

"Why... why, thank you!" Rarity cried out, rushing over to the ghost to hug it. "You can't know what precious mementos you've just saved... thank you so much!"

"I was glad to do it," the ghost responded. "I don't know what's in the box, but I know the feeling that surrounds it, and I wouldn't want anyone to lose that."

It was only now that Twilight examined the scene more closely. The ghost was wearing what seemed like a beautiful dress - though, as it was now mostly monochrome, it was hard to tell. This must have something to do with the reason she was in a dressmaker's shop. "Did you come to ask Rarity for a dress?" she asked.

"Oh, no, don't be silly," the ghost replied, chuckling. "How would I wear something like that? No, I only wanted to admire her work."

"Well," said Rarity, "I think, Twilight, that we can forget about that little errand I wanted from you for now. It's not often one entertains ghosts, so I believe I shall make that the day's focus."

The errand had completely slipped Twilight's mind after the first fire, so she was relieved to hear Rarity dismiss it. "Well then," she said, "I think I'll be going back to the library now. I have to check in on Spike."

"Then I'll see you later," Rarity called after her as she left.

Once again outside, Twilight was not surprised to see Applejack approaching. What did surprise her was that she was moving at full tilt, and before Twilight could react, Applejack had thrown her forelegs around Twilight's neck, and was sniffling right next to her ear. "Y-you'll never believe this, Twi," she began.

"How bad was it?" Twilight asked.

"Bad? No no no no no, this is incredible!" Applejack took a step back, grinning broadly with tears in her eyes. "It's mah great-great-great-, uh, and so on, grandparents, Cedar and Cordelia Apple! The founders of Sweet Apple Acres, an' the ancestors of at least half the whole far-flung Apple family! They're here, on the farm right now. Said they were mighty proud of us, an' how we been handlin' things, and now they wanna see the rest of the family farms. So they want me to take 'em. Think of it, Twi!"

Twilight thought. "That sounds amazing, AJ. Do you want us to come with you?" She remembered the trip to Appleloosa; the whole event had been exciting, nevermind the bit of unexpected trouble that they'd gotten caught up in.

"Nah, ah can do this on mah own. Ah just had to tell somepony. Speakin' of which... can you drop by Sugarcube Corner and tell Pinkie ah'm sorry, but ah won't be able to make it to her party tonight?"

Oh, yeah, the party. This whole day had gotten kind of confusing. Twilight nodded, a little vacantly, and Applejack hugged her again before rushing inside the shop. "Hey Rar, you'll never believe it!" was the last thing Twilight heard before she trotted off.

* * *

><p>Twilight took her time returning to Sugarcube Corner. Had she known what awaited her, she would have been in more of a hurry, but prescience had never been a quality she possessed in any great degree. So she moved slowly, looked around, and thought. Evidently, a lot of ponies had seen the earlier display. More of them were acting afraid now, keeping their distance from the ghosts, watching them out of the corners of their eyes.<p>

That came as no surprise. If she hadn't seen the ghosts leap... or float... to the rescue twice already, she'd be scared of them herself. After all, they were ghosts! Their very existence was openly defying all the rules of nature as Twilight understood them. And they were everywhere in Ponyville. If any of them could have that reaction, and nobody knew why, how long would it be before someone got hurt by it? Come to think of it, the dragon left Ponyville. Were there ghosts everywhere else too? Were they less dangerous elsewhere, or more?

And why did Pinkie Pie know so much about it?

She arrived, and opened the... no, the door was locked. Was Pinkie preparing for the party right now? It hadn't been that long since Twilight had seen her out and about, though. What did she say? After a moment, Twilight shrugged, and gave the door a few sharp raps.

"Just a miiinuuute!" Pinkie's cheerful voice called from inside. There was a little sound from inside, and then the door opened to reveal the perpetually-smiling pink pony. "Oh goody, I thought it was you, Twilight! Come on in, quickly!" Twilight obeyed and Pinkie shut the door behind her, locking it again. Okay, that was weird.

"Pinkie, what are you..." Twilight trailed off in the middle of the question as she realized that Pinkie wasn't alone, and that whatever was happening, they were now officially in over their heads.


	3. Day of the Dead

"Hello, Twilight Sparkle. I've been waiting for you."

Twilight was aghast. "Princess! You're here! Unannounced! With the ghosts, and everything!" she spouted, barely even registering the words that were coming out of her own mouth. "Why? What's happening? Why didn't you tell anypony you were coming?"

"Because if they knew I was here, on the day when the ghosts appear, they'd assume the worst," Luna replied. "That the ghosts came to destroy Ponyville, and I'm here to stop them. Or that _I_ came to destroy Ponyville, and they're _here_ to help me. So I came into town in disguise, and I'll be leaving the same way."

"So it DOES have something to do with the ghosts!" Twilight said. "Then please, tell me, why are there ghosts in Ponyville? And why is the day repeating itself?"

"Because that's how it's always been, every year, throughout all of Equestria."

"But I don't remember anything like this in Canterlot! Not last year, or the year before, or..."

"Nopony does." Luna levitated a book from the table. It was a thick, slightly decayed tome, and as Luna opened it to show Twilight, she saw large portions of many pages were dominated by symbols she'd never seen before. "It's called the Day of the Dead. For one day every year the spirits of the dead are able to visit the living. They come to see their loved ones, and to feel alive again." Twilight thought about that morning, with Spike's mother. "Some of them come back for other things, as well. Business from when they were alive that keeps them from finding peace, or some special purpose they have yet to fulfill. And that's why things are repeating themselves. The day can't end until every one of them has done what they came to do, or else given up."

"So," Twilight said, "until that happens..."

"The same twenty-four hours, from sunrise today until sunrise tomorrow, will repeat themselves." Luna bowed her head and concluded, "That's why, on this day, Celestia and I are going all over Equestria, to be sure that all the spirits do what they need to do and that nopony gets hurt in the process. For a thousand years, Celestia has done this alone, but now, as before I... as before, she will have help."

Twilight had to lie down at this, mind reeling at all this information. Every year, this happened, and nopony at all remembered? But something still wasn't right. "Nopony remembers the repeated days, but I do. Pinkie Pie does. Why is that?" she asked.

Luna turned to another page in the book, showing Twilight a specific paragraph. "The only ones who remember," she explained, "are those who have a special role in events. Somepony who's done something, or is doing something important, or will soon do something very important, for the sake of this day and what it represents."

"Then... Pinkie..."

"I found out about it when I was really young," Pinkie piped up. "That's when I discovered the sky was different tonight. That's why I throw my party every year, even though nopony remembers it. The ghosts want to feel alive, so I help them!"

Twilight scrutinized her friend. "And how did you find out about it?"

Pinkie thought about that question for a moment. "I... don't think I should talk about that," she said. "No offense, Twilight, but you don't need to know."

Considering what Pinkie thought was vital information, this only made Twilight more curious, but she let it go. "By the way," she added, "Applejack said she's sorry but she can't make it to your party. She's got a lot of traveling to do."

"Oh, no worries," Pinkie said, still chipper. "The party will still be here when she gets back."

Now Twilight turned back to Luna. "So what about me, then? Are you saying I have a special role in this too? That that's why I remember?"

Luna coughed. "It's not my place to tell you about it. Sis's probably finished with Canterlot and waiting for you in the library right now, so you should ask her. From what I know, she's been waiting for this day to come for years." She glanced at the clock. "In fact, it's probably almost time for me to go. There's a lot of ground to cover, after all. Pinkie Pie, I want to thank you again for your hospitality... and as for Mr. and Mrs. Cake..."

"Yeah, Celestia told me I should probably keep them occupied. Don't worry, it's not a problem."

"Wait," said Twilight, suddenly going wide-eyed. "Did you say Celestia is waiting for me? Your big sister? The princess who raises the sun? My personal mentor? That Celestia?"

"Er... yes? Ponyville is my responsibility this year, but she arranged her flight plan to meet us both on the way to..."

Twilight was out the door in such a hurry, Rainbow Dash would have had trouble catching her.

* * *

><p>"So, what you're saying is, I'm the Chosen One?" Spike asked.<p>

Celestia chuckled. "No, I'm afraid that's not what I said at all."

"Oh. Well then..."

Downstairs, there was the sound of a door slamming open. "Princess?" came Twilight's voice. "I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting, I..." the door closed, much more gently. "I didn't realize you were..."

"Don't worry about it," Celestia called down the stairs. "But please do hurry, I've got a long way to go after our talk."

Twilight wasted no time climbing the stairs. "I'm here, Your Highness. What did you want to talk about?"

Celestia cleared her throat and stood from where she had been kneeling by Spike's bed. "Twilight Sparkle, my most faithful student," she announced, "The Day of the Dead has begun. This is a sacred day, a day of great joy for all ponykind, when all the living and dead are reunited. To maintain the sanctity of this day is my formal duty, and my sister's. And," here she paused, long enough for Twilight to guess that she was drawing it out intentionally just for fun, "from this day on, it is also your duty, as my apprentice."

Surely she must have been joking. Twilight felt her jaw unhinge. This was unbelievable. Her? Charged with keeping ponies safe and helping ghosts? And if she failed... it would be the same day forever?

"Do you understand the responsibility that has been given to you?" Celestia asked. After a minute of processing, Twilight nodded. "Good," the princess continued. "Then you must go to the train station before nightfall. I have already made your arrangements. Good luck, Twilight Sparkle. I know that you will do very well." She stepped out onto the balcony. "I will see you at the end of your journey. Until then, farewell." And with that, she took flight.

Twilight continued to stare blankly for several minutes after Celestia had left. Spike waved a hand in front of her face. "You still in there, Twilight?" he asked. No response. "So... you need a minute?" Nothing. "I'll just... go mess around with your volatile materials."

Suddenly it all hit her at once. A task from Celestia! A journey! She had to get ready and go, now! She darted all around the library, packing up all the essentials, no time for anything else, just a suitcase full of books and one full of supplies, and then she was out the door, slamming it behind her.

Spike stared at the door and waited, tapping his foot, until it swung open again. "Oh, sorry, Spike," Twilight said quickly. "Do you need help packing?"

"Nah, I don't need much. Maybe a few snacks for the road," he said, holding up a box. "And I've already got those."

Twilight couldn't quite stifle a laugh as Spike hopped on her back and they headed for the station.

* * *

><p>At the train station, Twilight approached the ticket counter, but the ticketer spoke first. "Your ride has already been paid for," she said. "Here, you're also supposed to have this." She placed a rolled-up paper on the counter, and Twilight unfurled it.<p>

The paper was a map, on which several cities throughout Equestria, major and minor, were marked, and inside were two notes with the royal seal and Celestia's personal seal on them, entitling the bearer to take the train from anywhere, to anywhere, as often as she likes, for this one day only. The map itself had a label that said simply "Take Your Time".

Twilight took the map and found a seat in the station. She began charting their route, and soon became entirely engrossed in the task. It was some time later that she became aware of somepony standing in front of her.

"An' what do ya think yer doin' here?" the stern voice asked. Twilight pushed the map aside to see Applejack glaring at her. "Ah told ya, ah'm takin' Granpappy Cedar and Granny Cordelia to see the family mahself. Ah like havin y'all around, but 'tain't nothin' ah need yer help with."

There was a moment of confusion, which evaporated as Twilight realized what the problem was. "Actually, Applejack, I'm here on business from Celestia," she said. "Although..." She consulted the map again, quickly. "It looks like we share a few destinations. Since we're heading the same way, there's no reason we can't go together, right?"

Applejack tapped her chin. "Makes sense," she said. "But, gosh, you too? Ain't Pinkie Pie gonna be a mite disappointed when we both cain't show up for her party?"

"I wouldn't worry about that," said Twilight. "After all, the party will still be there when we get back."

"...what's that supposed ta mean?"

"You'll see."

* * *

><p>"Should we really be this close? What if he sees us?"<p>

"Whaddya reckon he's lookin' for?"

"Treasure, duh."

"Ah bet we ken find it first!"

"Yeah, and that'd make us..."

**"CUTIE MARK CRUSADER TREASURE HUNTERS! YEAH!"**

The ghost unicorn turned around at the sound of three fillies yelling in unison. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom ducked behind a rock, dragging Sweetie Belle after them just in time. He was dressed in an odd, frilly outfit, one that Sweetie Belle had mentioned looked like pirate clothes. It had been Scootaloo who insisted that they should follow him, and so here they were now. Seeing nopony, the ghost resumed his examination of the treeline. A few hundred yards this way, a few hundred yards that way, a few dozen feet into the forest and then back out again - the same pattern, over and over. Whatever he was looking for, he didn't seem to be making any progress.

"Alright, I'm goin' in," Scootaloo said, stepping out from behind the rock, but almost immediately she was dragged back by Apple Bloom.

"Have you completely lost it?" Apple Bloom whispered. "He's a pirate, AND a ghost! That's twice as dangerous!"

"There's three of us and only one of him," Scootaloo replied. "If we can't talk to him, we'll just have to take him down!"

"Ya cain't fight a ghost! They're ghosts! It just don't work, no matter how fancy yer mathematics are!"

"Alright then, smarty-pants," said Scootaloo. "Let's ask Sweetie Belle what she thinks."

"...pants...? Okay, fine. Sweetie Belle, should we talk to the ghost?"

"What? Me?" Sweetie Belle shrunk back. "No, I'm not getting anywhere near him!"

"See?" said Apple Bloom. "Sweetie Belle agrees. Let's get outta here. We can figure out somethin' else tomorrah."

With a sour look, Scootaloo followed the other two Cutie Mark Crusaders back to Ponyville. "I'm gonna find that treasure, no matter what it takes," she muttered.


	4. Off the Rails

The three settled in for what was going to be a long trip.

Twilight had filled in Applejack on the details of her mission. Applejack barely understood, but got enough to know that time wasn't an issue, which was comforting. She liked the idea of having more time to spend with her great-great-great-etcetera-grandparents.

Together, Applejack and Twilight had worked out the start of their route. They would go together to Appleloosa, since Twilight had been there before. The familiarity and support would make it easier for Twilight to get used to the whole procedure, to learn what she should and shouldn't do to help the spirits. They'd part ways there; Twilight would be going to West Chestnut, Applejack would head to Dapple Valley, and they'd meet back up in Esperianta before figuring out where to go from there.

The car they were in was a lot more crowded than last time they had been to Appleloosa. Back then they had been on important Apple family business, so no expense had been spared; the six friends and much of the family had contributed money for two private cars. This time, they were just in an ordinary passenger car. There hadn't been much reaction when they'd boarded with two ghosts. Twilight wasn't quite sure whether that was because everypony was already either comfortable with the ghosts or trying to pretend they didn't exist, or because there were already several ghosts in the car.

"So," said Twilight, looking up to the ghosts floating alongside Applejack, "you're AJ's great-great-great..."

"Just call us Cedar and Cordelia, dear," the ghost mare answered. "It'll be easier on everyone if you keep it short."

"Well then, Mrs. Cordelia," Twilight said, "I heard you founded Sweet Apple Acres. When was that?"

"Oh, it's been, what, about five hundred years?" Cordelia said, looking at Cedar for his estimate.

"Five hundred twenty-four, I think. Over twenty generations now the farm's been in the family. Although I may be counting a few of those twice," Cedar elaborated. "It's hard to be certain after so long."

Twilight nodded. "I see. Well, if you don't mind, I'd love to hear about your lives. It would be fascinating to learn about the world five hundred years ago from somepony who was there."

"And, meanwhile, I'm gonna go see what they've got in the dining car," Spike said, scurrying off. Twilight, Applejack, Cedar and Cordelia all rolled their eyes at this. As he left, Twilight and Applejack returned their full attention to the ghosts, who began their story. They spoke of their youth and upbringing; entire lifetimes laid out, youth in a city of too many, then departure, nothing behind and nothing ahead. How the two had realized, at just the right time, that they could make something from nothing, and so they went nowhere, and they built a farm. And how that farm had lasted five hundred years.

Spike returned with a dejected look on his face, but remembered he'd brought some food with him. He'd hoped to save it for later in the trip, but a few bites wouldn't hurt. He reached into the box and pulled out a piece of quartz, shoving it into his mouth whole. "Slow down," Twilight said. "You've got to take smaller bites."

Spike started to answer, but before he actually said anything, he passed out, snoring. Everyone stared for a moment. "Is he quite alright?" Cordelia asked.

"Ah'm sure he's..." Applejack yawned. "...fine." She started to close her eyes, then shook herself back to awareness. "Funny," she said, "'tain't even that late."

There was a thud from the back of the car, then another. The sound repeated itself, sweeping toward the place where they were sitting. Twilight stiffened, and she quietly cast a spell. "Quick," she whispered to Applejack, "pretend you're asleep."

Applejack gave Twilight an odd look. "Why..." she began, then stopped. "Well, if you say so." She began a somewhat unconvincing fake snore, but seemed to give up on that quickly enough. They both pressed themselves to the floor, keeping as still as they could. Twilight could plainly see now that most of the passengers in this car had fallen asleep, except for herself and Applejack; she had used her magic to keep them awake. And where were the ghosts? Cedar and Cordelia were still there, following Twilight and Applejack's lead, but the other ghosts they had noticed upon entering the car were nowhere to be seen.

With everypony asleep, there was no chatter to obscure the sound of a door opening and hoofsteps at the back of the car. "Now," said a familiar voice, "I can search for what I need at my own leisure. If only I knew some sort of detection spell... well, no matter. Where would they hide it, anyway?" The newcomer began stomping around, approaching the walls to tap on them. The noise didn't seem to be waking anyone.

"Whaddya reckon she's lookin' for?" Applejack whispered.

"No clue, but if she's pulling a stunt like this, it's probably something she's not supposed to have," Twilight answered. "So what are we going to do about it?"

"Ah'll tell ya what ah'm gonna do," said Applejack, raising herself slightly as four blue hooves passed by them. "Ah'm gonna... CHARGE!" She yelled the last word as she sprang to her feet and launched herself at the intruder.

It worked. There was just enough time for Trixie to turn and see Applejack coming before the impact flipped her onto her back, and Applejack pinned her there. "Now ah wanna know what yer doin' here, and ah wanna know now," AJ demanded. "Ah'd say don't try mah patience, but havin' ta deal with ya at all makes it too late fer that."

"What, do I know you?" Trixie asked, struggling. "This isn't much of an introduction."

"Now ah know you ain't forgotten 'bout Ponyville," Applejack practically snarled, her face inches from Trixie's. "Not after what happened last time."

"Of course I haven't forgotten, that's why I got on the train there!" Trixie protested. "It wasn't easy finding the right one, either." Before anyone could ask what that was supposed to mean, Trixie's horn glowed and a shimmering bubble enveloped Applejack, carrying her straight to the ceiling and holding her there. "Now," she said, standing quickly, "I've got business to attend to, so why don't you just hang out for a while. I'll let you down' when I'm done."

"Or," Twilight replied, stepping forward, "you could let her down right now." Her horn was glowing softly, in a warning gesture.

Still, Trixie showed no sign of alarm or recognition. "Who are you two? I admit resisting my sleep spell was impressive, but if you're here to stop me, you'd better come up with something more compelling than that."

"Maybe you could tell us what you're after, then," Twilight said, not moving an inch toward or away from the other unicorn. "Otherwise, I'm afraid you've just reached your stop, Trixie."

Trixie appeared nonplussed for a moment, but then she grinned. "Trixie, you say? Oh, that clears everything up. You foals really have no idea what you're putting yourselves up against." A shockwave burst from Trixie's horn, and a ringing sound filled Twilight's ears. At first it was nothing but a distraction, but it grew in pitch and volume until she flinched. She couldn't concentrate on anything else; she dropped to the ground and tried to cover her ears, but it was no good, she couldn't keep the noise out. She buried her head in her forelegs, hoping, silently pleading for an escape. Then, all at once, it stopped.

"I want you to hear my story," Trixie said, stepping toward Twilight, "so that you will know why it is that, even if you want to stop me, you have no chance.

"I gather Trixie is the name of my host. I'm not sure what grudge you have against her, but it doesn't really matter anymore because you're not dealing with her. For you see, I am The Resplendent Siren, Vanner. Many years ago, I rode this very train, though on a different route. I was a showpony unlike any other, my radiant beauty and awesome power drawing crowds the like of which others could only dream. With a performance in one village, I could empty another miles away.

"Ponyville was a favorite of mine. It wasn't the grandest city I had ever performed in, but being so near the wilderness, for a traveler like myself, it almost felt like home. That's why I kept going back. After my last show, I had planned to stay there. After years of traveling, I was road-weary, hoping to settle in for a more ordinary life. And there was, I confess, a young colt living in the town who had caught my eye. So I was going to end my performing career there, and find something new.

"My career certainly ended there, but not the way I expected it to. The townsponies had begun to grow suspicious. They didn't trust a traveler who came so often, and never stayed. And then the accusations began. That I was sowing mayhem. That I stole from my audience. That I had even cursed the local apple orchards. They noticed that bad things happened more often when I was around. That wasn't actually true, of course; it's simply that the bad things that happened stood out more when they had someone to blame them on. And one individual was stirring them all against me, not allowing anypony to miss the so-called evidence.

"It was my misfortune that, during my final performance, a local mare disappeared. And I don't mean she left without telling anyone. She disappeared, into thin air, for all to see. And of course, that was the last straw. The entire town was sure I had done it, and what could I say? I had spent all my life building my reputation as a sorceress, and everypony certainly believed I was a wicked one. I had no defense, especially when all her possessions, except a few valuables, turned up among my supplies.

"I don't need to tell you what happened next. They weren't sure whether to drive me out or lock me up. If they could, I believe they would have done both. As it was, I spent the rest of my life imprisoned. It's only now, as a ghost, that I am free to search for the proof of my innocence, and only this year I have heard there may be some key to that in this precise car. And that," she concluded, "is why I can't allow you to interfere. Anything to say now?"

"Just one thing," Twilight said.

"What's that?"

Twilight raised her head, horn glowing brightly. "You could have stopped at 'I'm not Trixie'. That was all I needed to know."

A beam of light shot from her horn, and seemed to pass straight through Trixie. Watching closely, Applejack realized that on the end of the beam, as it cleared Trixie's body, it was pushing a ghostly unicorn away. After a moment, it cut off, and Trixie fell to the floor. With this done, Twilight leapt up and popped the bubble holding Applejack, who landed hard on her feet.

"What'd ya do?" she asked.

"Think of it as a lesser version of what we did to Nightmare Moon," Twilight explained.

"Ugh! That never would have worked if I was ready for it!" the ghost wailed.

"Listen... Vanner, was it?" Twilight said. "I don't know whether your story is true or not, but it doesn't matter. If you need help finding the truth, you ought to ask somepony. I'm sure you could have found somepony who would believe you and want to help you."

Vanner snorted. "Nopony would believe me when I was alive. Why would they help me now?"

From the floor, Trixie said something unintelligible.

"It's gotta be better than doin' this to ponies, right?" Applejack said. "It's hard to trust a body thief."

Vanner was silent for a minute. "So what can I do about it now? Like you said, I'm already a body thief, aren't I?"

"You don't have to be."

"Maybe." Vanner thought. "Or maybe old habits die hard!" She rushed at Twilight - no time for a defense spell...

"Hold it!" Trixie cried, springing up from the floor. Everyone froze, surprised she was actually conscious. "Good. Now, your reputation was destroyed through no fault of your own. I can sympathize with that." She cast a brief glance backward at Twilight, who glared daggers back at her. "So, I'm inclined to help you. But! I don't much like being used as a puppet. I demand a full apology, right now."

"And if I don't?"

"Well then," Trixie proceeded, "I'm certain there's something I can do to make you pay. After all, while you were in my head, so was I. Meaning, you taught me everything you know."

The ghost stared at Trixie, trying to decide whether or not she was bluffing. She didn't think possession worked that way, but then, ghosts didn't make much sense in the first place. Trixie only smiled her usual gloating smile. "Alright," she said at last, sounding defeated. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't mess with ponies' heads without asking... or probably at all. I won't do it anymore."

"Good," said Trixie. "Then I guess we're traveling companions now."

Applejack cleared her throat. "Uh, that's all fine and dandy, but between the two of ya, you just knocked out a whole carful of train riders. An' it looks like you've got a few more companions, 'cause ah ain't lettin' either of ya out of my sight after that."

"Oh yes," Vanner said. "Trixie, I am going to need your help to reverse the spell." Trixie nodded, and together they released the spell on the passengers. One by one everypony began to wake up. The missing ghosts also reappeared, looking as if they, too, were just waking up.

"It's a start," said Applejack. "Now let's not have any more shenanigans 'til we get ta Appleloosa."

"Appleloosa?" Vanner asked.

* * *

><p>Far away, in the plains, the buffalo tribe was gathered. It was on this day every year, in this hour, that great leaders of the past would return to judge the tribe and return forgotten wisdom to them. And this year, they hoped, would be the year they saw the return of the Ancient Chief, with the knowledge and wisdom of every generation of the tribe.<p>

They were not disappointed. Before their eyes manifested the wizened visage of the oldest buffalo known to have ever lived. Though adorned exactly as the chief today was, he looked somehow infinitely more regal.

"Hail, Chief Thunderhooves," said the Ancient Chief.

"Hail, great ancestor," replied Chief Thunderhooves. "Your people await your word of judgement."

"Then they will have it," the Ancient Chief declared. "The buffalo have grown weak and foolish. Our nation is falling."

The assembled buffalo looked shocked, but the Ancient Chief wasn't finished. "There is much that must be done," he said. "A journey must be made. Send to me the most worthy of the buffalo. Then I will teach what must be taught."


	5. Butterflies

The train arrived at the station late the next evening. The group disembarked, and the train began moving again, seeming to simply disappear into midair shortly thereafter. Twilight shuddered at the sight.

"So," Applejack said as they started through town, never letting Trixie or her ghostly cohort leave their sight, "Princess Celestia sent ya ta keep an eye out for ghosty tricksters, right? So, that mean yer goin' off on yer own?"

Twilight carefully considered that. "I think we'd better stick together," she said. "We've already got a pair of troublemakers here, and I'd rather not have to deal with both of them plus whatever else comes up without backup."

"Well, ah got ya covered, then," Applejack said. "Let's just hope it don't come to that."

The dusty streets were almost deserted. A few ponies were just beginning their day's work, and waved to the group as they passed. "Well, let's see now," Applejack said to Twilight as she returned the gestures, "first thing's first, we gotta get ourselves put up fer the time bein'. The inn's right this way."

They proceeded down another street, and entered the inn. Almost immediately they were greeted by a young mare. "Well, this shore is a surprahse!" she declared. "Why didn't you tell anypony you was comin'?" Twilight was slightly embarassed to realize she couldn't remember the name of this pony, even though she had recognized them immediately. The excited mare turned to the clerk, who seemed to be standing stock still for fear of agitating the apparently fresh lacerations on his face and forelegs, and said, "Go on and get three rooms ready for Applejack, Twilight Sparkle and... uh..."

Trixie opened her mouth to reply, but Applejack spoke first. "Y'all ken go 'head an' make that two rooms," she said. "Trixie here needs a chaperone." She didn't even have to look to see the nasty look Trixie shot her in response.

The clerk wrote down the information with a wince, saying, "You can all go right ahead, you're known here." Twilight was surprised to learn that she'd made this much of an impression last time; but then, she figured, it was probably more to do with the fact that she was here with Applejack, whose family's contributions to and presence in the town were most of the reason it was standing.

The other pony - Twilight was still drawing a blank, what was her name? She was sure she ought to know this - practically flew to the stairs. "I'll show you to yore rooms," she said, leading the way.

"Sheesh, what's she so excited about?" Spike asked, as the ponies struggled to keep up with her.

"Wail, shoot, I oughtta be! It's my little sister - today she was out in the plains with some friends, an' they run afoul of a giant antlion. Nearly swallered 'em up, but she got free. Then she tied a rope to a big rock, went back in an' saved 'em all. Even got her cutie mark in the process!" The mare looked back at them, beaming. "So tomorrow, on accounta her bravery, we're throwin' a ball in her honor. And since y'all got here at just the right time, I guess that means you're all invited!"

"Tomorrow, huh?" Applejack said. "Ah don't wanna disappoint ya, but..."

"We'll be there," Twilight interrupted.

Applejack cleared her throat and nudged Twilight. "Are you losin' it, Twi?" she whispered. "You know there won't be a tomorrow 'til we're long gone."

"Exactly," Twilight whispered back. "By the time the ball actually happens, we won't ever have been invited in the first place."

The mare leading them suddenly stopped. "Here's your rooms," she said, turning to face them and presenting them with the keys. "Hope you're comfortable!" With that, she slipped off.

"Arright, well, have fun bunkin' with Trixie," Applejack said. "Ah'll jus'..."

"What?" Twilight replied. "Why do I have to share a room with her?"

"Simple. 'Cause you ken use yer magic ta keep her in line."

"Weren't YOU the one who said you're not letting her out of your sight?"

"She's your rival, so that makes her your responsibility."

"She's not my rival."

Trixie cleared her throat. "Don't I get a say in this?" she asked.

Applejack and Twilight both stared at her for a minute, neither one about to provide the obvious response. "Actually," said Applejack, "ah've got other things ta do tonight, in order ta keep us here."

"Oh, right, they won't remember we're here in the morning," Twilight said. "I'll watch Trixie, then."

Trixie sighed. "I swear, the moment I'm free of you two I am going to run forever and never look back."

* * *

><p>Twilight stared at Trixie. Trixie stared at Twilight.<p>

This was going to be a long night.

Twilight honestly wasn't concerned about Trixie. After all, what was she going to do, run away and put on a bad performance somewhere? Maybe Applejack didn't trust her, but Twilight just didn't care; as far as she was concerned, Trixie was harmless. The bigger issue was Vanner. The ghost hadn't left Trixie's side since the encounter on the train. She was acting like a captive, and it wasn't as if it would be hard for a ghost to escape. That told Twilight that for whatever reason, Vanner needed Trixie. Why didn't really matter, though it didn't stop Twilight from idly pondering it in the silence. Either there was something only Trixie could do, or there were some rules Twilight wasn't aware of, or...

"Do you mind if I go to sleep, warden?" Celestia dammit Trixie.

Twilight sighed. "Please do. That would make everything so much easier."

Cordelia's head poked through the wall (and Twilight nearly jumped out of her hide before she realized what had happened). "You can go to sleep too, dear. Cedar and I will keep watch." Applejack's ghost-grandparents proceeded to float in through the wall. "It's not as though we need to sleep."

"I appreciate that, thanks," Twilight said with a nod. As Trixie laid down, Twilight allowed herself to drift off as well.

* * *

><p>Before dawn, Applejack got up and left the inn, careful not to be seen on the way out. She watched the horizon, counting the minutes.<p>

Finally, the sun began to rise, and Applejack could see the change take place. It was subtle, almost imperceptible in most places. A few objects simply appeared or disappeared as the sun's light reached them. The water levels in the public drinking troughs changed. A shattered window across the street seemed to simply become whole again. It wasn't hard to figure out that everything was going back to the way it had been the previous morning.

Applejack waited until the changes had spread farther down the street than she could make out, then went back inside. She walked up to the clerk and said simply, "Howdy. Ah'm gonna need two rooms tonight, fer me an' mah compatriots."

The clerk nodded, grabbed some keys for her, and filled out the register. "Rooms 179 and 181. That'll be eighty bits."

Applejack grimaced at the figure. Forty bits per room wasn't bad, but in comparison to the figure from last night - nothing - she definitely felt the hit. Must've been free before on account of the celebration. At least it was the same rooms as before. She checked the money she had on hoof, and was suprised to realize it was all still there. All of it, including the money she had previously spent on a train ticket.

Now she was positively cringing. It was good to see she wouldn't be having any money troubles, but she suddenly realized that anything she paid for during this trip, she'd be effectively stealing, since the money would just come right back to her when the day reset. It didn't feel honest. But, what could she do? She paid for the rooms, and slunk back upstairs.

She knocked on the door to Twilight's room, but didn't feel like waiting. Instead, she simply unlocked the door and walked inside. Something felt slightly off in the room, but Applejack couldn't quite figure what. Maybe on some subconscious level she'd been half-expecting to see Twilight and Trixie sharing a bed or something.

_Whoops what a completely random thought where did that come from okay no more of that thank ya kindly._

"Up an' at 'em," she called a little halfheartedly. "We got an orchard ta see and some mean streets ta patrol."

Her grandparents didn't fail to notice her tone. "What's the matter, Applejack?" Cedar asked, floating over to her as the unicorns started to roll onto their hooves. Concern was etched into his face, at least as much as anything can be etched into anything incorporeal and expressions are readable on monochromatic, partially-transparent faces.

"Ah'll... tell ya later, okay?" Applejack said. "It's nothin' ta worry about, jus' a little bother." Cedar nodded his understanding, and left it at that for the time being. The group trooped out of the inn - the clerk doing a double-take didn't quite ease Applejack's guilt, amusing though it was - and headed for the orchard, a time-consuming trek since they were repeatedly stopped by excessively friendly greetings, ponies welcoming Applejack and her companions and chatting excitedly about the sudden appearance of ghosts in the town.

* * *

><p>"What? You're actually going in?"<p>

Vanner looked horrified at the thought of entering the orchard. Applejack looked to Twilight for an explanation. Twilight gave a small sort of shrug. "Pinkie says some ghosts hate apples," was the best she could do. She was going to have to remember to ask for more information when they got back to Ponyville. "If you don't want to come with us, then just stay there until we get back," she told the reticent ghost.

"Twi..." Applejack hissed.

"Don't worry about it, I need to test something."

Vanner looked around, apparently conflicted. Eventually, she sighed. "Very well, I'll be here when you're done," she said in a defeated tone.

As Applejack led her ancestors down the path through the orchard, talking about the somewhat short history of Appleloosa, Twilight hung back slightly and signaled for Trixie to do the same. Trixie raised an eyebrow, but complied. Twilight looked over her shoulder to check if they were out of earshot of Vanner, and, deciding they were, spoke. "I just need to ask, do you trust Vanner?"

Trixie responded with an expression that was somewhere between a smirk and a grimace. "That's a little complicated. I do feel like she's sort of a kindred spirit. Almost like I'm obligated to trust her a little."

"A 'kindred spirit' might be an understatement. You're practically the same pony... _Great and Powerful_ Trixie." The tone with which Twilight said that almost reached the level of a challenge.

"No, not at all. That's merely a stage name, and after all, you don't see a stage anywhere, do you? She, meanwhile, can't get out of character even after she's been dead for Celestia knows how long. Anyway, I know for a fact she was lying about some things. If she was as successful as she claimed, for example, I surely would have heard of her."

"Well then, Shirley, if you know she's a liar, how do you know she's not lying about everything?"

"I don't. But whether she's lying or not, I want to find out. You could say I'm... curious. Besides, you don't trust her, so that's a plus in my book."

Twilight gave Trixie a questioning stare. "You really hate me enough to join up with some complete unknown who tried to steal your body just because I don't like her?"

"Hate _you_?" Trixie snorted. "And you think I'm egotistical? I hate Ponyville, the insignificant little woodland town that turns on a showpony the moment they realize she's not their savior!" Twilight was about to respond that Trixie's attitude toward Ponyville was the very definition of egotistical, but stopped when she heard a voice ahead.

"Well howdy, cousin! Didn't know you was in town!" Braeburn said, dropping the pruning shears he'd been tending to the trees with in order to greet Applejack. "Funny day for you to drop by, I'm hearin' rumors Appleloosa's become a regular ghost town!" It was a terrible joke, but that, and Braeburn's obvious pride at having thought of it, was why Applejack was unable to stop herself from chuckling a little at it. "Speakin' of," he continued, "you know you got some company here, right?"

"Shore do. That's why ah'm here, in fact. These are great-great-great..."

"Cedar Apple," Cedar interrupted.

"Cordelia," Cordelia added. "A pleasure to meet you."

"Uh, yeah, that. They want to see all the family farms." A thought occurred to Applejack. "Say, since you ain't really met 'em yet, an' ah got other business in town anyway, how'd you like to show 'em around today?"

"Really? Well, sure enough," said Braeburn, "'tain't every day you meet your great-great-great..."

"Cedar," Cedar interjected.

"Cordelia," Cordelia affirmed.

"Right, that. Well, if'n it's alright by you two, come on, I'll show ya everythin' there is to see here in Appleloosa. I'll catch up with ya later, AJ." The ghosts nodded, and followed Braeburn as he trotted off through the orchard, at about the same time Twilight and Trixie caught up.

"Well, that's a little disappointing," Twilight snickered. "I was hoping we'd get to introduce him to Trixie. I bet they'd hit it off, and you'd have a new cousin."

Both Applejack and Trixie looked queasy at this prospect. "No offense, Twi, but yer sense of humor could use some work," Applejack said.

There wasn't much left to do in the orchard. A quick look around told them there weren't likely to be many ghosts here, especially not the troublesome kind. Vanner was waiting at the orchard's exit, just as she had promised, and still refused to come any closer until they had left.

"Ya know, Miss Vanner, ah been wonderin' somethin'," Applejack said as they returned to town.

"What's that?" the ghost said, sounding mildly disinterested.

"Ain't Vanner a colt's name?"

Vanner now snapped to attention, rigid and spluttering in her rage. "It most certainly is not!" she finally managed. "That is rather rude!"

"It sounds like a colt's name to me," Twilight said, having not given it any thought before.

"Me too," Trixie admitted.

Vanner would have paled, had that not been completely impossible. "It must be a cultural difference," she said. "I assure you where I come from Vanner is the feminine form."

"An' the masculine?"

"Is considered a grave slur this far west, so I will not say it."

Applejack looked like she might press further, but decided to change the subject. "You notice somethin' wrong here?"

In the short time they'd been in the orchard, the entire town seemed to have transformed, the mood now oddly somber; even the ghosts seemed unhappy. Applejack looked around and, spotting someone, hurried over to them. "Hey! What's goin' on 'round here?" she called out. Twilight looked and saw it was the same mare from the inn.

Just like everypony else, her incredibly upbeat disposition from before was noticeably missing. "Oh, it's you, Applejack... I just got the most awful news... it's about my sister."

* * *

><p>Rainbow Dash spent most of her time training on the outskirts of Ponyville, but when she came into town she loved to hang around on the clouds over Sugarcube Corner. Aside from being where her friend and partner-in-crime Pinkie Pie lived and worked, and perpetually tinting the air around it with a sweet smell, it was also in one of the busiest parts of town. There was a thrill in it, just taking in the activity, dropping in to participate now and again when things got really interesting.<p>

So when she saw somepony on a cloud staring dejectedly down at the street below, she was a little curious. And then when she realized that that somepony was an earth pony, she was more curious. And then she noticed that she could see through him, just a little, and she knew there was a story there that she needed to hear.


End file.
